The present invention relates generally to instruments and methods for sealing and joining or cutting tissue. The instruments of the present invention are especially intended for use during either conventional open surgery or endoscopic or laparoscopic surgery.
Hemostasis, or blood clotting, can be obtained by the activation of a naturally occurring biological pathway known as the coagulation cascade. The pathway can be activated by tissue injury. This injury can come from mechanical, chemical thermal sources. This natural biological pathway results in the conversion of freely flowing blood to a blood clot. Several biological elements are involved in the coagulation cascade, including tissue proteins, mainly fibrin and thrombin. Cells such as platelets and red and white blood cells are also involved.
During surgery, hemostasis can also be achieved by direct denaturization of the proteins found in the blood. Denaturization of a protein means that its characteristic three dimensional structure is altered without actually breaking up the protein. This direct denaturization is a purely physico-chemical process in which the denatured proteins bond together, forming an amorphous mass of protein which is comparable to a naturally occurring clot. How does denaturing a protein cause it to stick together with neighboring proteins? Proteins generally have a complex three-dimensional structure. A protein is actually a chain of smaller molecules called peptides, which peptides may have side-chains which contain a molecular group which can attract a molecular group on another side chain. The main protein chain is looped and folded on itself in a complex way which results in the three-dimensional structure characteristic of the protein. This looping and folding occurs because of an intra-molecular attraction between side-chains of the peptides. This attraction between side-chains is generally of the xe2x80x9chydrogen bondxe2x80x9d or electrostatic type. The attraction which holds the peptides together along the main chain is a covalent bond. When a protein is denatured, it loses its normal three-dimensional structure. As a result of this unfolding of the protein molecule, the side-chains on the peptides, instead of facing xe2x80x9cinwardxe2x80x9d to fold up the protein chain are now able to bond to side chains from proteins which are neighbors. This inter-molecular bonding results in the formation of a lump of denatured protein. This process is not dependent on the activation of the biological cascades of the natural clotting mechanism, but it is a purely physico-chemical process. For hemostasis, the tissue proteins which must be denatured are chiefly those in blood such as hemoglobin and albumin but also include structural proteins such as those found in the wall of blood vessels or in other anatomical structures.
One of the best ways to denature a protein is to heat it up to a temperature high enough to cause the intra-molecular hydrogen bonds to break, but which is not high enough to break the much stronger peptide-peptide covalent bonds along the main chain. A prime example of this process is the heating up of the clear part of an egg until it turns white. This white color means that the original clear protein has been denatured.
Heat which is delivered to tissue proteins may start out as electrical energy, light energy, radiowave energy, or mechanical (vibrational or frictional) energy. As far as the tissue is concerned, it does not matter what the original source of the original energy is, as long as it gets converted in some fashion to heat.
For example, if the source of the energy is a laser, then the light energy is absorbed by molecules in the tissue whose absorption spectrum matches the wavelength of the laser light being used. Once the light energy is absorbed, heat is produced, and the physico-chemical process of protein denaturation is achieved. Any sort of light energy will have this effect, if its wavelength is such that it can be absorbed by the tissue. This general process is called photocoagulation. The advantage of using a laser is that since its output is monochromatic, one can selectively heat certain tissue elements which have the right absorption spectrum, while sparing other tissue elements for which the laser light is not absorbed. This principle is used commonly in ophthalmology. Another advantage of using a laser is that its coherent and collimated beam can be very tightly focused on very small targets. If one does not care about spatial precision or selective photocoagulation of only certain tissue elements, then it is perfectly possible to coagulate tissue by using a very bright but otherwise ordinary light.
If the source of energy is electrical currents flowing through the tissue, the process is called xe2x80x9celectrosurgeryxe2x80x9d. What happens here is that the current flowing through the tissue heats up the tissue because the tissue has resistance to the flow of electricity (xe2x80x9cOhmic heatingxe2x80x9d). In the case of ultrasonic coagulation, the rapid vibration of the ultrasonic element induces heating in essentially the same fashion as the production of fire by rubbing sticks together (although the rate of vibration is much much higher and the process is more controllable).
Since it is heat that denatures and coagulates proteins, why go to all the trouble of starting with a laser or an electrosurgery unit? Why not just use a very simple source of heat, such as a resistance wire or, even simpler, a hot piece of metal? In antiquity, xe2x80x9ccauteryxe2x80x9d via a hot piece of iron was used to staunch bleeding wounds. The problem with this approach is not efficacy, it is control and containment of the amount and extent of tissue which is cauterized or injured.
In fact, the development of xe2x80x9celectrocauteryxe2x80x9d in the late 1920""s by Professor of Physics William T. Bovie was spurred by the desire (of the pioneering neurosurgeon Dr. Harvey Cushing) to have a more controllable and refined means of producing heat in tissues than possible by using a large piece of heated metal. Electrocautery uses very high frequency alternating electrical current, since it was found that these high frequencies did not cause tetanic (xe2x80x9cGalvanicxe2x80x9d) stimulation of muscle tissue which occurs when direct current or low frequency current is used. To avoid muscular stimulation, it is necessary to use alternating currents with very high frequencies, about several hundred thousand cycles-per-second. This high frequency falls in the range of the AM radio band, which is the reason why many electrical instruments such as monitors used in the OR will register interference when electrocautery is activated. There are many potential problems stemming from the use of such high frequencies, including difficulty in controlling stray currents which can injure patients and interfere with pacemakers and computer equipment. Electrocautery has been refined over the past fifty years, but it still represents a rather round-about way of getting tissue to heat up.
Numerous instruments are known which coagulate, seal, join, or cut tissue. For example, there are electrosurgical instruments, both monopolar and bipolar, which use high frequency electrical current that passes through the tissue to be coagulated. The current passing through the tissue causes the tissue to be heated, resulting in coagulation of tissue proteins. In the monopolar variety of these instruments, the current leaves the electrode and after passing through the tissue, returns to the generator by means of a xe2x80x9cground platexe2x80x9d which is attached or connected to a distant part of the patient""s body. In a bipolar version of such an electro-surgical instrument, the electric current passes between two electrodes with the tissue being placed or held between the two electrodes as in the xe2x80x9cKleppinger bipolar forcepsxe2x80x9d used for occlusion of Fallopian tubes.
There are many examples of such monopolar and bipolar instruments commercially available today from companies including Valley Lab, Cabot, Meditron, Wolf, Storz and others worldwide. A new development in this area is the xe2x80x9cTripolarxe2x80x9d instrument marketed by Cabot and Circon-ACMI which incorporates a mechanical cutting element in addition to monopolar coagulating electrodes.
With regard to known ultrasonic instruments, a very high frequency (ultrasonic) vibrating element or rod is held in contact with the tissue. The rapid vibrations cause the proteins in the tissue to become coagulated. The ultrasonic instrument also employs a means for grasping the tissue while the proteins are being coagulated.
Olympus markets a heater probe instrument which uses an electrical heating wire contained in a catheter type flexible probe meant to be passed through a flexible endoscope. It is used to coagulate small bleeding vessels found on the inside of the gastrointestinal tract or the bleeding vessels found in peptic or other sorts of gastrointestinal ulcerations. In this instrument, no electrical current passes through the tissues, as is the case for monopolar or bipolar cautery. This instrument would certainly not be suitable for use in laparoscopic or open surgery in which large amounts tissue must be not only coagulated but also divided.
There are a number of relevant patents:
Pignolet, U.S. Pat. No. 702,472, discloses a tissue clamping forceps with jaws wherein one has a resistance for heating the jaw, and a battery to power the heater. The coagulated tissue caused by the heat and pressure is subsequently severed along the edges of the jaws before they are opened;
Downes, U.S. Pat. No. 728,883, teaches an electrothermic instrument having opposing jaw members and handle means for actuating the jaws. A resistance member is installed in the jaw member, which is closed to direct contact by a plate. This instrument coagulates tissue by heat, not electrical current, applied to the tissue;
Naylor, U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,682, discloses a disposable battery-powered cautery instrument;
Hiltebrandt et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,898, concerns a coagulator with jaw members, one of which contains a resistance coil. This instrument has a timer mechanism for controlling the heating element. The heating element is used directly as a temperature sensor;
Harris, U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,734, teaches a instrument that can effect both electrosurgery and cautery. A thermistor temperature-sensing element monitors a heating loop and regulates the current and thereby the temperature;
Staub, U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,052, relates to a cautery instrument with removable, battery-powered cautery heating tip;
Huffman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,306, discloses a pistol-grip, hand-held heating instrument having a trigger mechanism for the battery;
Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,221, teaches an optical thermal clamping instrument for welding or fusing tissue, and employing a cutting blade for separating the fused-tissue;
Stern et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,463, discloses clamping jaw members that are bifurcated by a cutting blade, having plural electrodes and temperature sensors, and can function as monopolar or bipolar; and
Rydell, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,638, relates to a bipolar coagulation and cutting instrument.
While each of the above mentioned references is relevant to the invention herein, none teaches or suggests the totality of the invention taught and claimed here.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a instrument for sealing, cutting, or sealing and cutting tissue.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a instrument for sealing and joining tissue.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable instrument which does not require an external power source.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a instrument which can be constructed to conform to the requirements of laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery, i.e., to be long and very narrow, in the range of a few millimeters in diameter or even narrower.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide for a method for carrying out surgical procedures using the instrument of the present invention.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for optimal heating and optimal pressure to optimize tissue seal strength and to minimize collateral damage to tissue.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from the following more detailed disclosure of the invention.
According to the invention, there are three parameters that are independently controlledxe2x80x94the temperature to which tissue is heated, the pressure which is applied, and the time over which the temperature and pressure are maintained. The total heat applied to the tissue is a function of the temperature and the time. A key feature is the combined (simultaneous, partially simultaneous, or sequential) application of pressure and heat to the tissue being coagulated for a specified amount of time, which induces the denatured proteins to bond together, which in turn assists in attaining hemostasis with less heat energy than would be required without the pressure. Also, the total energy applied is minimized by means of the configuration and materials of the parts of the instrument that hold the tissue in opposition during the application of the heat and pressure. Using less heat energy means less collateral damage. In addition, results can be achieved that are at least as good as can be achieved with known electrosurgical and ultrasonic tissue coagulation units, but with a much smaller, lighter power source, such as a battery. Also, a very simple and direct method of heating the tissue is used. Since the basic heating element is so simple, the improved results can be achieved at a fraction of the cost of the more round-about means of heating tissue.
According to one aspect of the present invention instruments and methods for sealing, or coagulating, and cutting tissue during surgery are provided. The instruments incorporate means for controllably heating tissue while simultaneously applying a definite and controllable amount of pressure to the tissue being heated. Because of the combined application of heat and pressure, tissue proteins will become coagulated and blood vessels within the tissue will be sealed shut, achieving hemostasis. Optimal sealing or coagulating tissue means producing a strong and durable seal or coagulation or anastomosis with a minimal amount of collateral tissue damage. In the instruments of the invention optimization is achieved by a combination of the physical configuration of the part of the instrument that holds the tissue during the coagulation process and regulation of the time, temperature, and pressure.
As part of the temperature control, heat can be applied in pulses rather than in a continuous manner. Pulsed heat application allows tissue that is adjacent to the area being coagulated time to recover from the heating process and to remain viable. Also, the application of the pressure may be variable in intensity and may also be applied in a pulsed or discontinuous manner.
It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a method and instrument for the surgical treatment of biological tissue, wherein thermal energy and pressure are applied simultaneously, substantially simultaneously, consecutively, or alternatively, over a time such that tissue proteins are denatured and the tissue will adhere or join to itself or to other tissues, for the purpose coagulating bleeding, sealing tissue, joining tissue and cutting tissue. The minimum amount of heat or thermal energy needed to accomplish these goals is expended, so as to minimize thermal damage to tissue adjacent to the treated site.
The instruments of the invention may also incorporate means for cutting, or severing, the tissue after the tissue has been coagulated, xe2x80x9ccuttingxe2x80x9d including dissecting or tissue division, tissue disruption or separation, plane development, or definition or mobilization of tissue structures in combination with a coagulation or hemostasis or sealing of blood vessels or other tissue structures such as lymphatics or tissue joining. The cutting can be achieved by means of a blade which is passed through the coagulated tissue while the tissue is being held in the jaws of the instrument. Cutting can also be achieved thermally by use of amounts of heat greater than the amount required to coagulate the tissues. Alternatively, cutting can be achieved by other mechanical, ultrasonic, or electronic means, including, but not limited to, shearing action, laser energy, and RF, or a combination of two or more of the above. In the case of using thermal energy to achieve tissue cutting, the instruments and methods minimize the amount of energy required to divide tissues with the least amount of unwanted tissue necrosis.
The heating element may be a resistance wire through which electric current is passed, or the heating element may be another material which generates heat when electrical current is passed through it. The electrical current is applied through the wire either as a continuous current or as a series of pulses of definite duration and frequency. Unlike conventional electrosurgical instruments, the electric current of the instruments of the invention does not pass through the tissue, which can cause problems due to stray electric currents. The electrical elements are electrically insulated from the tissue while being in good thermal contact. In a simple embodiment of the instrument, the total amount of continuous current and hence the total heat energy applied to the tissue, is limited in duration by a simple timer circuit or even by direct visual or other sensory inspection of the treated tissue. In a more sophisticated embodiment, the pulse train configuration and duration is under control of a simple microcontroller, such as, for example, an embedded microprocessor. With microprocessor control, a thermistor heat sensor is incorporated into the part of the instrument that grasps the tissue being coagulated. The microprocessor takes temperature readings from the thermistor and adjusts the pulse train configuration and duration to achieve the optimum temperature to cauterize or seal the tissue while minimizing unwanted collateral thermal damage. The actual value of the optimum temperature can be verified experimentally for this particular instrument.
The temperature of the sealing treatment according to one aspect of the invention is preferably kept in the range required to denaturate tissue proteins (approximately 45xc2x0 C. to below 100xc2x0 C.) while avoiding excessive necrosis to the tissue. Keeping the temperature in the range required to achieve protein denaturization without excessive tissue necrosis means that the total heat energy expended in the treatment will be less than if the temperature were not kept in this range. The amount of heat energy expended in the treatment is related to the degree of the heat (the temperature) and the length of time for which the heat is applied. The combined application of pressure with the heat reduces the amount of heat or the degree of temperature that would be required to have the denatured proteins actually stick together. This combined application of pressure also increases the strength with which the denatured proteins actually stick together, for a given amount of heat energy at a given temperature.
The amount of pressure applied is regulated by springs or other elastic elements, or mechanically functional equivalents, which will result in the tissue being held with a predetermined amount of force per unit area, in spite of variations in the size or thickness of the tissue being sealed or coagulated. The pressure may also be regulated by mechanical elements or spacers or by the geometry of the pressure producing elements. As with the temperature value, the exact value for the pressure to be applied can be verified for this instrument with appropriate measurement calibration.
The controlled application of a combination of heat and pressure which is sufficient but not excessive to produce a durable coagulation or seal has the result that only a relatively small amount of heat energy is needed. That only a relatively small amount of heat is needed means that relatively small electrical batteries can be used as the energy source to produce the heat. A instrument of the invention can therefore be free of bulky and heavy external power generators such as are required with conventional electrosurgical, laser or other instruments for coagulating tissue. Because small batteries can be used to power the instrument, the instrument can be made quite compact and light weight, as well as portable and/or disposable. The use of batteries or other sources of low voltage direct current facilitates the avoidance of hazards and inconveniences caused by electrical interference and stray currents, which occur in conventional high-frequency electrosurgical instruments. Laser eye hazards are also thereby avoided.
Since the heating elements and pressure producing elements of the instrument may be inherently simple and inexpensive to manufacture, the part of the instrument that comes in contact with tissue can be made in a disposable manner, if desired, while the more expensive portions of the instrument can be made to be reusable. If the instrument incorporates a simple timer, instead of the microprocessor-thermistor controller, the entire instrument including batteries can be made very inexpensively and to be disposable.
Different embodiments of this instrument employing the same general principle of controlled application of a combination of heat and pressure can be used to join or xe2x80x9cweldxe2x80x9d adjacent tissues to produce a junction of tissues or an anastomosis of tubular tissues. The joining of tissues is essentially a special case of the controlled coagulation of tissue proteins to achieve hemostasis.
It is a further aspect of the present invention that such heat and pressure effects will be spatially confined by the physical configuration and materials employed in the construction of the instrument. The configurations and construction materials are such that (1) the tissue is held in apposition with enough pressure to effect a strong union of the denatured proteins but not enough pressure to cause necrosis of the tissue, and (2) the heat is concentrated on the tissue being treated by means of the material of the jaws which hold the tissue being treated, such material being a thermal insulator which prevents the heat from being expended on heating adjacent tissues. Such material may also employ a reflective layer or coating to reflect back the treated tissue heat energy that would otherwise be lost to thermal radiation. Such material may also have a geometry or be shaped in such a way to focus the thermal energy on the treated tissue and away from tissue not intended to be treated. For example, the jaws of the instrument may have a concave or parabolic inner surface to focus the thermal energy.
It is a further aspect of the present invention that such effects will be spatially confined by the kind, amount, and duration and temporal distribution of the energy delivery. The energy could originate as heat, light, sound or electricity, chemical, or other forms of energy, as long as this energy is converted to heat to denature tissue proteins. In a preferred embodiment, the energy would be delivered from a simple, low cost thermal heating element which could be powered by a battery contained in the instrument itself. The energy could be delivered in a continuous, or pulsed or intermittent mode, at variable or constant intensity. Pulsed or intermittent delivery of energy can produce a spatial confinement of the energy distribution. Feedback (including optical, thermal, spectroscopic, among others) and a microprocessor could be used to control the thermal effect. In the case of tissue coagulating, sealing or joining, the temperatures produced by the energy source could be the range of from about 45xc2x0 C. to about 100xc2x0 C. for a duration long enough to produce denaturation of the proteins in the treated tissue.
The heat or energy delivery source may be a simple electrically resistant wire, straight or curved, a grid or pattern of wires, or a thin-film or coating of electrically resistant material. One or more energy elements may be used. They may target some or all of the tissue treated by the pressure elements. The energy delivery source may be integral with or separate from the pressure elements. Cutting elements may be incorporated into the energy elements. The energy or heat source may move or be fixed. The energy may be delivered in a similar or dissimilar plane compared to the direction of pressure application. The energy or heat source may be constructed in such a way that its shape and size may be varied to conform to different anatomical situations, tissue shapes and thicknesses. For example, an inflatable balloon coated with an electrically resistant material might be employed as the heat source. Another example would be that the heat source might have an expandable fan type configuration which could enlarge (xe2x80x9cfan outxe2x80x9d) to cover a larger surface or a smaller surface as needed. Another example would be a flexible sheet type configuration that could wrap around the tissue to be treated.
It is a further aspect of the present invention that such effects will be spatially confined by the kind, amount, and duration or temporal distribution of the pressure delivery acting in conjunction with the energy or heat source. The delivery of pressure will usually be from a minimum of two elements of the apparatus rather but may in some cases be from simple abutment or pressing of a single element against tissue, as in the example of the circular cutting wheel or a coring biopsy instrument. Any combination of geometric arrangement between the energy source and the pressure source may be produced, including combined energy-pressure sources and separate energy and pressure sources. A constant requirement is that the energy element deliver energy to at least some of the tissue that is subjected to pressure by the pressure element. The pressure element likewise may be variable in its shape, being able to adjust its shape before or during the application of the energy or pressure to accommodate for different anatomical situations, tissue shapes or thicknesses. Cutting elements or other elements for shaping or forming the tissue may be incorporated with the pressure element. For example, the pressure element may be comprised of a flattened side with an acute up-angled center to produce a combination of cutting effect over the center with compression along the sides. The pressure applied may be constant or variable over time and the relation of the pressure elements to the tissue may be constant or variable during application of the pressure and energy or both. Motion of the appropriately configured pressure elements may be used to effect cutting before, during or after application of the energy or pressure. The variable application may likewise be controlled by feedback from pressure transducers or strain sensors acting with a microprocessor.
It is a further aspect of the invention that a completely separate cutting element could be used in addition to separate energy and pressure elements. It is also an aspect of the invention that mechanical tissue fastening instruments including sutures, staples, clips, bands, screws, plates or tacks could be incorporated into the instrument. In this case the thermal energy and pressure would be used to provide mainly coagulation and sealing and the mechanical elements would provide additional strength to the tissue joint or anastomosis.
The invention can be used in either open, laparoscopic, endoscopic or any form of minimally invasive surgery. Surgical instruments based on this invention could be long and thin, suitable for laparoscopic or minimally invasive approaches.
The parameters of temperature, time, pressure, as well as the any adjustable physical configuration or geometry of the instrument might vary depending on the type, size, and thickness of tissue being treated. These parameters may be experimentally determined before the actual treatment and incorporated into the instrument by means of a xe2x80x9clook-upxe2x80x9d table in a microprocessor or by means of simple markings and calibrations of adjustable knobs, dials, etc., of the instrument.
For the purpose of thermally joining or anastomosing two hollow tubular structures, e.g., small blood vessels or vas deferens, a preferred embodiment would incorporate two circular or cylindrical elements. Such cylindrical elements would be designed to fit one into the other, acting as a jug or temporary stent which would hold the two tubular structures together while heat was applied. The tubular structures would be held in such a way,to provide either a certain amount of overlap or end-to-end contact. As in previous embodiments, the amount of coaptive pressure which is being applied would be optimized according to the tissue type and thickness. The heat would be provided by a heating element or elements incorporated into the cylindrical jigs or stents and situated to apply the heat to the parts of the two tubular structures which are in overlap or in end-to-end contact. As discussed above, the amounts of heat and pressure applied are the minimum required to produce a secure anastomosis with the least amount of collateral damage.
Another embodiment of this instrument would employ a circular mechanical cutting element, suitable for obtaining xe2x80x9ccorexe2x80x9d biopsies of solid organs such as the liver or a kidney. This circular mechanical cutting element, shaped like a cylinder with sharp edges at one end, would incorporate an electrically resistant element on the outside of the cylinder. This electrically resistant element could be in the form of a thin film of resistance material. As the mechanical cutting of the tissue was done by rotating or pushing the cylindrical cutter into the tissue, hemostasis along the track created by the cutter would be achieved by the heating element on the outside of the cutter. The cylindrical cutter would be constructed out a material, or would incorporate a layer of a material, such that the tissue core sample being removed would be insulated from the thermal effects of the heating element on the outside of the core. This design would allow for retrieval of tissue samples which are not distorted by heat changes and also allow for secure hemostasis along the tract of the biopsy. In this instrument, the lateral pressure exerted by the cylinder wall on the tissues of the track cannot be explicitly controlled; however, there is pressure, and this pressure is part of attaining hemostasis.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a circular cutting wheel would be mechanically rotated to cut tissue, such as skin. This circular cutting wheel would incorporate along its rim, an electrically resistant thin film. This electrically resistant element would provide for hemostasis as the rotating mechanical wheel cuts the tissue.
In a yet further embodiment of the invention, an inflatable elastic balloon could be used to apply heat and pressure to tissue. The exterior surface of the balloon would be coated partly or totally with flexible, optionally stretchable, electrically resistant material that will heat up when electrical current is applied. Here, the pressure exerted on the tissue can be controlled by regulation of the inflation pressure of the balloon.
Another embodiment of the invention comprises a compact electrical cutting and coagulating instrument which allows blood vessels, other vessels in the body, or organ tissue to be divided with electrical energy while at the same time being ligated by heat-induced coagulation. This embodiment comprises a forceps or tweezer-like gripper with two arms which may grasp a vessel or section of organ tissue with gripping areas at the tip of the arms. One arm is fitted with a protruding cutting wire, while the other arm is provided with an anvil surface and, optionally, a recess for receiving the cutting wire. Cutting a vessel or tissue is accomplished by heating the wire and closing the tweezer arms on the vessel or tissue, allowing the hot wire to cut the vessel or tissue. Sealing the vessel or tissue is accomplished when the tweezer arms have closed upon the severed ends of the vessel, whereupon the anvil surface is heated to cause coagulation of the vessel or tissue. The wire may be made of a non-stick composition comprising carbon, and the anvil may comprise non-stick substances such as PTFE or carbon. The cutting wire is heated to a high temperature from an electrical power source, preferably a DC power source, and preferably powered by batteries housed in the body of the instrument or in a portable battery pack. The anvil may be heated by radiant and conductive heat from the cutting wire, with heating wires powered from the electrical power source, or from the cutting wire indirectly.
Optionally a standard clamp can be modified to accept a cartridge containing a heating element and a power supply, or an instrument useful for laparoscopic procedures may be the functional equivalent of the forceps described above.
The instruments of the invention can be used in surgery and are particularly well suited to laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery. Because the method described uses heat energy in the minimum amount and at the lowest temperature consistent with attaining denaturation and sticking together of tissue proteins, instruments which work based on this method will be able to function more efficiently than conventional surgical energy instruments. Therefore these instruments can be portable and even battery powered, which makes them ideally suited for portable or military applications.
There is no instrument or method in the prior art which specifically seeks to obtain surgical coagulation, sealing, joining or cutting by a combination of resistant heat energy and pressure at a time, temperature and pressure which together are sufficient but not excessive to produce protein denaturization, and with a physical configuration and materials of construction which promote the sticking together of the tissues being treated while minimizing losses of heat energy to surrounding tissues beyond the treatment zone.